Thursday, May 9, 2013

Habit | Habitat: Destination Austin

Growing up, my family always played a type of game on family vacations: what would it be like to relocate to our vacation destination? What neighborhood would each of us choose to live in? What would be our favorite neighborhood dining spots? What would be our go-to outfits as we attempted to fit in with the locals? (The latter being a higher priority discussion for my mother and me. My father is not known for sartorial variety.) Our answers usually turned into spirited debates over a final meal or while waiting at the terminal for our flight home.

Even though I don't always tag along on my parent's trips these days, I still like to keep the tradition alive when I travel on my own. It's particularly tempting to imagine relocating to Austin, where the lifestyle is active, the climate is hot and dry, and an abundance of creative energy is all around. (And the legendary food trucks aren't exactly a turn-off...)

I'm no fashion maven. But when I travel, I do like to observe what people are wearing in an anthropological way. Hence the the launch of a new column, HABIT | HABITAT. I started with a clothing that struck me as capturing Austin's distinct style-- a unique mix of cowboy, borderland, rock n'roll and indie. Then I translated that style into a room in my imaginary Austin home.

Hope you find Austin's laid-back, eclectic look as inspiring as I do. And if you're so inspired as to book your own trip, I absolutely recommend the very mod Airbnb rentals we stayed in-- a 2 BR House in South Austin and a 1 BR Guest House in East Austin.